| At a tribute to local business tycoon and Spain's first US ambassador, Diego María Gardoqui, at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao earlier today, Prince Felipe gave part of his speech in Basque.
"Personalities from this land, whose values and virtues have made the Basque country great, and by doing so, have also made Spain great, and we owe them our greatest respect and gratitude. And it was to these same values and virtues, to this same living tradition, that Ambassador Gardoqui belonged," said Felipe in Basque before switching back to Castilian.
Accompanied by Princess Letizia, the heir to the throne was addressing an audience that included a number of local dignitaries such as Basque government spokeswoman and regional Culture minister, Miren Azkarate, the mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, and Vizcaya MP, José Luis Bilbao.
The event was jointly organised by Bilbao Chamber of Commerce and the Hispano-American Foundation. |
